690 Score Breakdown Advice

[bgussin]

I took the GMAT today and scored a 690, with a 43 in QA (67%) and a 41 in Verb (92%). I don't usually do that poorly on the math section, at least during practice tests. My question is, does the fact that my QA score was so low look bad to mba admissions? In other words, would someone who scored a 670 with more even QA/Verb be more likely to get accepted, all else being equal? I do plan on taking the test again, but if I am not able to improve my score, please let me know what you think of my current score. I am aiming for a top 5/10 program. Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

If the school in question says that it wants an 80/80 (meaning 80th percentile in each sub-section, or a generally more balanced score), then yes, all other things being equal, that school would prefer someone with a more balanced score. (It's rare for all other things to be exactly equal, of course!)

Your quant score was still good, though not great (as your verbal score was). If your background includes strong quant performance (college math classes, work experience), then that can offset a good-but-not-great quant performance. It really depends on the school!